Snatcher Week Oneshots
by Avatarcatz2323
Summary: A collection of oneshots for Snatcher Week! I know I'm a little late, but I'll do my best to post at least every other day. Mostly fluff, but a bit of angst later on! These all will correlate to my A Hat in Time Tales series, so it's highly recommended that you read those first though it's not required.
1. Day 1: FOOOOOOL!

**A collection of oneshots for Snatcher Week! I know I'm a little late, but I'll do my best to post at least every other day.**

**Mostly fluff, but a bit of angst later on! These all will correlate to my A Hat in Time Tales series, so it's highly recommended that you read those first (though it's not required).**

**Oneshot summary:**

**(Super fluffy - set after The Puppeteer) Hat Kid insists on spending a day with Snatcher to help him with his chores around his kingdom. Things get interesting when someone enters the forest uninvited.**

* * *

"Pleeeeaaaaase?" Hat Kid pleaded, fingers laced together and hands raised in a begging gesture. "It's so _boring _around here and I'm going crazy with nothing to do!"

Snatcher frowned lightly down at her, feeling his own resolve crumbling at her pouting face. He didn't want her to be in danger, though he logically knew that she could usually hold her own. Besides, he knew that she'd sneak down to his forest to play pranks on him if he didn't give in.

"**Oh, alright," **he relented with a sigh. He was smiling though, a giveaway to his wanting to spend time with her. **"But you have to listen to everything I say!"**

He wasn't even sure she heard that last part, due to her loud cheering the second he voiced his approval. He rolled his eyes and watched with an amused smirk as she briefly danced around.

Her request was to join him for a full day of taking care of Subcon, including forcing fools who stepped into his forest into contracts or scaring them out of his kingdom. She'd already donned her shadowy outfit that he'd given her for completing his Death Wish contracts, stating that she was now ready to go since she looked like him.

He'd never admit it out loud even to her, but she was just so pecking adorable.

"Race you there!" Hat Kid suddenly shouted, bolting to the telescope in her room.

"**Wha-hey!" **Caught off-guard, Snatcher saw her magically teleport before he could stop her. Grumbling to himself despite the humor of the situation, he quickly dove into the floor of her bedroom and teleported himself to his kingdom.

His method wasn't quite as fast as hers, and she was already chatting away with Moonjumper by the time he arrived.

"_My, you have a lot of energy," _the puppeteer commented, looking a bit uncomfortable. He was still getting used to her hyperness, after all, and it'd only been a few weeks since his alliance with Snatcher had begun.

"Yup! I'm gonna be like Snatcher today!" she announced, showing off her outfit to him with a twirl. "I even have this so I sorta look like him!"

Even Moonjumper couldn't hold back thoughts of how cute the little girl was, especially with her enthusiasm being so contagious. He allowed his stagnant grin to relax with genuine happiness. _"That is very nice, little one," _he complimented encouragingly, unsure how else to respond. He and his former rival still weren't too fond of each other.

"Thanks!" She giggled before Snatcher approached them, then proceeded to get excited all over again like the child she was when she saw him floating there. "Oh! There you are! I beat you here, haha!"

He rolled his eyes again, trying to suppress a chuckle. **"Yes, well, I don't have advanced alien technology like you do." **

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Too bad for you!" She had far too much energy, so much that she surprised herself. She hadn't been this excited since… well, for a long time.

Both spirits picked up on her slight mood change, but Snatcher decided to let it be for now despite his mild concern. **"Alright, kid, what do you want to do first?"**

The small damper on her mood lifted, and she was soon bouncing around the ghosts. "I dunno! Whatever you do, I wanna do! What do you usually do first?"

Snatcher blinked, surprised that she didn't have something planned already. **"Hmm… perhaps we could****—****wait a second."**

There it was; that subconscious tug that told him an intruder had entered his forest. With a malicious grin, he turned to Hat Kid. The eager, overly-curious look on her face almost made him laugh.

"**Someone just entered my forest," **he announced. Hat Kid gasped. **"Want to pay them a visit with me, kiddo?"**

"Peck yeah!" she shouted, jumping in place. She'd wanted to scare people with him for so long! It looked like a lot of fun.

"**Watch the language," **Snatcher chided playfully. He offered a hand to her.

She just giggled in response and took his hand, letting out a "Wheeee!" when he picked her up and swung her onto his back.

"**Hold on tight, kiddo! And remember to be quiet; the element of surprise is key to scaring people."**

She gave a determined nod and made herself securely comfortable on his "shoulders," hands gripping his mane for extra stability. "Ready!"

Without a hint of warning, Snatcher dove into the ground and melded with the shadows. Hat Kid gripped his fluff tightly as the world distorted, and she grimaced at the uncomfortable feeling. Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped as the Soul Stealer emerged from the shadows once more.

It took a moment for Hat Kid to regain her composure, the teleportation making her dizzy. Once she recovered and saw his questioning gaze, she gave her companion a grin and a thumbs-up to let him know she was okay.

Snatcher's grin returned in full force and he drifted through the trees, their target soon in sight.

It was a member of the Mafia, and Hat Kid was fairly certain that he was the one who punched her in the face that one time. She made a face, but stayed quiet as her BFF had told her to be.

That was, until he spotted a Dweller and approached it. "What are you? Worm spirit? You in Mafia's way!"

The poor Dweller didn't know what to do as the Mafia man swung at it, and it was clearly confused as it simply drifted out of the way. It started to move faster as he gave chase, angry that it evaded his attack.

Hat Kid could feel Snatcher tense up beneath her, and she patted his head to get his attention. "Can I try to scare him? Pleeeaaase?"

He blinked, considering it, and then smiled. **"Alright, kid." **He lifted her from his "shoulders" and gently set her on the ground. **"Show me what you got!"**

The Mafia man hadn't noticed or even heard either of them as he continued to chase the little ghost around, but he definitely heard the twig that Hat Kid purposefully and very loudly snapped in half. Unsure where the sound came from, he paused and looked around. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the Dweller only to find that it had disappeared completely.

Hat Kid, hiding in the bushes, giggled to herself as the Mafia member grumbled and resumed walking. She glanced up at the trees before swiftly climbing up the one closest to her.

She followed him from above, hopping from branch to branch and slowly getting closer. He didn't seem to suspect a thing, not even looking up when she almost slipped once.

Then, it was time to strike.

As the Mafia man paused to grumble about something, Hat Kid positioned herself in the branches over his head. Putting on the most malicious grin she could muster, she dropped down right in front of the man's face while shouting, at the top of her lungs, "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!"

The shriek that came from the Mafia man was enough to send Hat Kid into a laughing fit, and he was soon running away with his hands flailing in panic. Meanwhile, Snatcher was too busy trying to fend off the emotions that had suddenly sprung up at the little alien's imitation of him to carry out the rest of his plan.

Hat Kid soon regained her composure and returned to Snatcher, chest puffed out in pride. "How was that? Did I… uh, Snatcher?"

Her voice finally got his mind working again, and he blinked a few times before looking down at her. **"Hm?"**

She was clearly concerned. "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Snatcher blinked several more times and wiped at his eyes, his claws coming back wet with unshed tears. He was obviously caught off-guard by this revelation, and he scrambled to regain some of his dignity. **"Wh****—****I wasn't crying! You're seeing things, kid." **He straightened up and grinned at her.

She narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "... okay." She bounced excitedly on her toes, letting him get away with his suspicious behavior this time. "But, did I do a good job? Did I do it right?"

Snatcher's smile softened, and he tousled her hair with a chuckle. **"You did great. I'm…" **Well, no one else was around except a Dweller or two. He might as well just say it, especially since she was looking up at him like she thirsted for praise and approval and he just couldn't say no to that face. **"I'm proud of you, kiddo. Don't tell anyone I said that."**

Hat Kid's eyes went big, and in an instant she was clinging to him in a hug that he soon returned. "I won't! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He was a bit surprised by her passionate reaction, but didn't question it. Instead, he just grinned and held the hug for as long as his kid wanted. This seemed like a big moment for her, so who was he to rush it?

The little alien soon pulled away, easily landing on her feet as she dropped back to the forest floor. Filled to the brim with joy, she turned back to her father figure and hopped in place. "Let's go scare him again! If he was scared of me, he's gonna be _terrified _of you!"

Snatcher laughed and followed her closely as she ran in the direction the Mafia man had gone. This was one of the best days in all his afterlife, hands-down.


	2. Day 2: Contractual Obligations

**Chapter summary: (set after No Longer Alone) Snatcher learns that Hat Kid is going to return home.**

* * *

Snatcher watched Hat Kid with narrowed eyes as she played with his minions, the group unaware of his presence in the shadows. Now that he didn't have to worry about Vanessa for a while—it would take her a long time to get past his barrier—he took up stalking the little alien as a small hobby. It wasn't out of interest in _her _of course; she was in his forest and he just wanted to know what she was up to. That was all, nothing more.

As he observed the children—spirits and mortal alike—playing with each other, he felt himself relax. Every since she'd become his servant of sorts, the Subconites had taken a liking to her. A few weeks later and after she completed even his advanced contracts (though he'd recently noticed a new place called the Metro that held potential for more challenges), his minions had clearly warmed up to her all the more. Looking at them now, an outsider would probably think they'd been close friends for life. Or death, he inwardly supplied with a quiet chuckle.

His amusement faded when the kids ended their game and Hat Kid's expression sombered. Then, as she spoke with his subjects, their auras took on a saddened, bittersweet sort of air to them. He was too far away to hear them properly; what the heck was going on?

Eager to eavesdrop, he became one with the shadows and traveled through them until he was close enough to hear the children but stay out of sight at the same time. He frowned as he listened closely.

". . . back, I promise!" Hat Kid was saying, trying to reassure the minions about whatever had made them upset in the first place. "I don't know how long it'll take, but—"

"Nooo," one of the Subconites whined, clinging to her arm childishly. "What if you never come back?!"

Snatcher's eyes narrowed. Were they talking about what he thought they were talking about?

"But I promise I will!" Hat Kid tried, giving the minion a hug and patting the back of their head. "I just… don't know how long it'll be."

"A few days?" one Subconite tried hopefully.

The alien winced, obviously trying to placate her friends without making a promise she might not keep. She forced a giggle. "Um… it… might be a bit longer than that..."

Snatcher scowled. She was going to leave? Just like that? She'd defeated the red-hooded menace not that long ago, and ever since then she'd acted like she was a resident of the planet. He knew she wanted to go home, but why now? Why so soon? How long would she be gone? … wait, why did he even care?

He blinked as he realized he missed part of the conversation, and quickly returned his attention to the group of children.

"I'm sorry, but I gotta go," Hat Kid said quietly. She looked to be holding back tears. "I'll come back as soon as I can, okay? Thanks for playing with me."

She gave them hugs and continued to comfort them as they said their goodbyes, and Snatcher dove back into the shadows.

He soon reappeared in his tree and plopped onto his chair, thinking hard. He didn't want her to leave, but why? Ugh, emotions were confusing. He wasn't at all used to feeling like this. It must've been for his subjects' sake. Yeah; she made them happy, so naturally he'd want her to hang around and keep their morale up.

Yes, that was it. It couldn't be anything else.

Letting out a low hum that somewhat resembled a growl, he conjured a contract in front of him and stared at the blank page. The weathered-looking paper seemed to gaze back, awaiting his mental orders for what should be written upon it. After a minute of careful consideration, he began to fill the page and put his developing plan into motion.

Not much later, he could sense Hat Kid's aura approaching, so he swiftly put the finishing touches in place before making the contract disappear in a puff of smoke. He picked up one of his books and pretended to be reading it.

"Hey Snatcher!" Hat Kid called as she bounded into his tree, grinning.

Her narrowed his eyes slightly, able to tell that her smile was somewhat forced even without sensing the sadness in her aura. Looking closer, he noticed that she'd definitely been crying. **"Hey, kiddo. What's up?"**

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Just got back from playing with your minions, and I wanted to see what you're up to before I go back to my ship!"

Wait. Was she not planning on telling him that she was going to leave?

That made him mad, but he tried not to show it. **"I'm just reading my book as usual, kid." **He made a show of looking suspicious. **"... spill it, kiddo. Why did you really come here?"**

She blinked a few times in surprise, then looked down as she scuffed her shoe on the wood. "I, uh… wanted to tell you bye. For now."

Oh. Maybe he jumped to conclusions a little too quickly. **"What do you mean?"**

"I-I mean, I'm going back home," she answered quietly. She finally looked up at him, head slightly ducked and startling him with how fearful she looked. Why was she afraid?

He frowned, then shrugged. Inwardly, he was clueless as to why her words made him sad. It was for his minions' sake, right? But it also didn't feel that way. Ugh. **"You're leaving? Why now?"**

Hat Kid gripped her arm nervously at his obvious disappointment. "Because if I don't go back soon, they'll come looking for me. And they'll be mad at me for staying here so long."

His eyes narrowed. **"Why?"**

Her expression was suddenly guarded. "Because," she replied shortly.

He blinked. Wow, well her attitude was definitely still intact. Apparently, her home was a sore subject. But why? Her behavior was confusing him. **"... well, when will you come back?"**

She was abruptly anxious again. "I don't know."

Snatcher put his book down and glared. **"What do you mean, you don't know? You ARE going to come back, right?"**

Hat Kid was silent for a moment, then her signature smug grin slowly spread across her face as she saw an opportunity. "Are you saying you _want _me to come back?"

He quickly backpedaled. **"No! I'm just saying, you make my minions happy, and their morale is important to me. I'm not heartless, remember?"**

Her grin didn't waver. "Suuuuure."

The ghost threw his hands in the air, frustrated. **"You're infuriating! Ugh." **He drifted into the air and crossed his arms, glaring down at her smug face before rolling his eyes with a huff. **"You know what? Here."**

He summoned the contract he'd made and it came into existence with a puff of smoke, appearing in front of a startled Hat Kid's face. She looked at it, curious and apprehensive, before her brow knit with confusion and she stared up at the spirit king.

"... you're trying to force me to come back within a week?" she clarified, gesturing at the magical paper. "And if I don't, you'll seriously come looking for me and murder me on my own planet?"

"**It's the only way to keep my minions from panicking that you've left forever," **Snatcher hastily supplied. He didn't miss the grin that flashed over her expression, before she suddenly seemed reluctant. **"What's the matter, kiddo? Can't keep a simple promise?"**

The little alien bit her lip. "It's just, I don't know how long it'll take. Going home from here will take a couple days, and I don't know how my parents will react when they find out I lost the Time Pieces…"

He rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively. **"Seriously, kid? Who says you need to tell anyone that happened? Just don't mention it. You fixed everything anyway, right?"**

He was shocked by the seething glare that she was now giving him. "You don't understand," she grumbled, before her expression eased and she sighed. "It's not that simple, Snatcher. I don't know how long I'll be gone."

His face scrunched up a bit. **"Two weeks, then."**

Hat Kid gave him an exasperated look. "Snatcher…"

He grinned in response; it was still fun to annoy her. **"Hey, if they try to keep you longer, the contract will give you an excuse to come back sooner!"**

Her sternness broke into a giggle. "... that might sorta work."

His smile visibly brightened. **"Great! I'll adjust the time period, then, and we'll both leave happy!"**

With a snap of his claws, the contract was altered to give Hat Kid two weeks instead of one. Her smile softened as she looked over the contract again—making sure he didn't change anything else—before she took the hovering quill and signed her name on the contract.

"**Excellent!" **Adding his stamp to the paper, Snatcher swiftly tucked the contract away before teleporting it into her top hat, grinning with his victory.

Hat Kid giggled again and hopped up to hug him, catching him off-guard. He froze temporarily, before giving in and allowing himself to return the hug somewhat.

"**Be safe, kiddo," **he told her quietly as she pulled away.

Her expression softened again, and she grinned up at him with a tiny salute. "When am I not?"

Not giving him time to answer, she rushed out of his tree and jumped, holding up a Time Piece from her pocket. She soon whizzed up into the sky, flying up to her spaceship with the hourglass' strange magic.

Snatcher watched her go, feelinging a certain fondness grip his heart and smirking at her humorous goodbye. At peace with her contracted promise he knew she'd keep, he drifted back into his tree and picked his book back up.

She was now contractually obligated to return within two weeks, and though emotions confused him, he felt a distinct joy at the knowledge that she wouldn't be gone for too long.


	3. Day 3: Death Wish

**(Angst/fluff - Set before No Longer Alone) Hat Kid's on her last chance, and a fatal blow leaves her at Snatcher's mercy.**

**[Quick head-canon that's important here: most of Snatcher's Death Wishes take place in a sort of pocket dimension that he controls, hence why he can manipulate abilities and enhance his own powers so much, not to mention bring Hat Kid back to life when she dies.]**

* * *

"**Last life, kiddo. Better be careful so you don't die for real! Ahahahaha!"**

Hat Kid rubbed at her face, sitting down outside of the fighting circle and trying to ignore the dread settling in her stomach. She'd completed most of the Death Wishes by now, and she'd already died twice to Snatcher's super-powered self. She had one last chance, else she lost her life and her soul to the Snatcher for good.

Looking back, she wasn't sure why she'd thought it a good idea to humor him and do his stupid "advanced contracts." Some of them were a lot of fun, and it was always great to watch his flustered reaction as she powered through the challenges, but now...

Now that her life was really, actually on the line here, anxiety and regret twisted her insides. She'd gotten close to failing a couple contracts before, sure, but this was the last big one. The last Death Wish battle, and now the last chance to save her own soul.

Taking a big, deep breath, she got back to her feet and walked towards the arena. Snatcher was there and watching her, ready for the fight in his charged-up state. However, she thought she saw a flicker of emotion on his face before he hid it. Huh.

"**Ready to DIE, kid?" **he asked eagerly, grin almost manic as his minions gathered around the outside of the circle to watch.

Hat Kid sighed and nodded, before shaking herself and getting into a battle stance. She was determined; she wasn't going to lose. She couldn't afford to. "You're going down, Snatcher!"

He just laughed, clearly confident in his win. **"You don't know when to quit, do you?"**

With a quick swipe, her signature top-hat was gone from her head and placed on his own again. He laughed once more, and then the fight officially began.

She easily dodged the first set of attacks, having memorized their patterns by now. A few minutes into the face-off and she'd already had several near-misses, but still remained unharmed.

Jumping over a shockwave and avoiding the corrupted Time Pieces falling from above while sidestepped sparks, she grabbed the unbroken blue flask from the ground and hurled it at her foe. Snatcher flinched when it hit, but otherwise showed no reaction as he went right on to the next attack.

A few more hits on him, and she was getting hopeful that she was almost done. Unfortunately, that's when the ghost decided to change his patterns.

She jumped out of the way of a laser blast, but then Snatcher suddenly sprang from the ground right underneath her and swung at her. Hat Kid let out a terrified scream as she was sent flying through the air, crashing into the wall of lasers and falling to the ground from there. She landed hard and rolled a few times, and before she could get up, she was hit by a flask that exploded on contact.

Everything hurt, so badly. It felt like she'd been fried alive, having taken such a direct hit from the lasers, and she couldn't stop the tears that began streaming down her face. She attempted to get up, but her arms gave out and she fell back down with a strangled cry of agony.

She knew it was over. She couldn't get up; Snatcher hardly had to lift a finger to finish her off for good. His layered laughter filled her ears, and she squeezed her eyes shut with pained acceptance of her ill fate.

Snatcher raised a claw, excited to rid himself of this brat for good and take her soul. But then he hesitated.

His eyes widened a little as some of the adrenaline faded, and he realized just how sad and broken she looked. Clothes singed; skin clearly burnt; and worst of all was the resigned, harrowing look on her face. Even though she was laying on her stomach, her head was turned enough so he could see her expression.

He's never seen that look of defeat on her face before. As he'd watched her plough through his contracts, he'd seen so many sides of her. Angry; determined; sad; tired; discouraged. But she'd never fully given up, so this was new to him. She was literally bracing for her final death, and while he'd seen that expression on hundreds of faces before, seeing it on her made him feel… different.

His claws briefly twitched, and he was utterly confused. Why was he hesitating? Why did he suddenly want to give her another chance? He was having a blast seeing her struggle, so maybe he just wanted to keep her alive so he'd have reliable entertainment.

The very thought of that felt just plain wrong, and he couldn't put a finger on why. He hadn't felt guilty about doing the same to so many poor souls before Hat Kid… Wait. No. He wasn't getting attached. He couldn't be. He was the Snatcher, terrible Soul Stealer of Subcon! He was NOT going to soften up because of a mere alien child!

And yet… he felt something within him snap into place when he focused on her broken form again, and suddenly he was conjuring heart pons in his hand. Why? He really didn't know, but he acted before he could stop himself.

Snatcher struck out, noticing her flinch from hearing the movement, and a crate near her exploded. He dropped the heart pons at the same time, then put on his angry face before she could realize what had happened.

"**What?! How did I—just when it counted, too!" **he faux-raged to himself, seeing the pons absorbing into her in his peripheral vision.

Hat Kid fully expected death to seize her for the last time, but was absolutely floored when she instead felt life and energy flood her body. In an instant, her skin healed and wounds sealed, and she was jumping back to her feet. What just happened?! She glanced around and saw shards of the crate she'd fallen by; could he seriously have missed and hit a crate that happened to be full of heart pons?

… he did it on purpose.

Snatcher didn't give her a chance to ponder the facts as he abruptly whirled around and angrily prepared his lasers for another assault. **"You got lucky that time, **_**kid, **_**but now I'll finish you off for good!"**

Hat Kid blinked, still reeling from what had just transpired, but regained her composure quickly enough to resume her dodging as his attacks started up again. A couple more minutes, and she landed the final hit on him.

As the blinding light dissipated, she blinked open her eyes and gasped at the ball of purple Time Pieces now in front of her. She excited grabbed them, and then the world around her distorted as she was transported back into her room. She'd done it! Finally!

She ran up to Snatcher and grinned at him. "What was that all about, BFF?"

He blinked, then rose an invisible eyebrow in feigned confusion. **"I don't know what you're talking about, kid. You still have a few more contracts to finish up, so get back to work!"**

She giggled, undeterred as she leaned on his arm. Her grin only widened when his eye twitched at the physical contact. "Oh come on, you big ol' softie! You know you—"

In one swift movement, Snatcher moved his arm out from under her and simultaneously elbowed her in the back, sending her into her pillow pool. Her alarmed squeak made him start laughing, and the glare she gave him when she surfaced only fueled his amusement.

Hat Kid couldn't hold back her own giggles as she saw him laughing so much, and she couldn't stay mad at him. She _was _teasing him pretty hard, though she thought he deserved it. She'd continue her teasing later, after she was out of her giant pile of pillows. Since she was already there, though…

Snatcher's laughter was cut short when something soft suddenly smacked him in the face, and he looked down at the alien just in time to get hit with another pillow. **"Why, you—"**

She kept volleying pillows at him, interrupting him every time he attempted to speak. Her grin was perhaps the smuggest thing he'd ever seen.

"**Wha—"**

_Smack._

"**Kid—"**

_Smack._

"**Look, I—"**

_Smack smack._

"**Alright, that's IT!"**

Hat Kid let out a joyful shriek as her BFF dove at her, and she ducked into the pillows to avoid his "attack." She felt his hand snag her ankle, and soon she was pulled into a wrestling play-fight against him. It wasn't long until they were both laughing so hard they could barely breathe, and she'd never heard his laugh so light-hearted and happy before.

Emerging from the pillows, they both collapsed onto their backs near the Subcon telescope, still laughing and trying to catch their breaths.

"... I thought you... didn't need to breathe," Hat Kid pointed out once her side didn't hurt so much. "Aren't you a ghost?"

She turned her head to look at him, and immediately started laughing again at the shocked look on his face.

"**I—of course I'm a ghost! I was just… doing that for your benefit!" **Snatcher lied, embarrassed at being caught. Truth be told, he'd been having so much fun that he'd temporarily reverted to the mindset of the prince, forgetting that he had no need for physical breath. Oops.

She giggled at his expense, and then hugged his arm. "Thanks, BFF. That was really fun!"

He tensed a little, but then just patted her head and chuckled. She clearly just had too much energy. **"Yeah, well, don't get used to it."**

He wasn't getting attached, no way.


	4. Day 4: Mail Delivery Service

**(Angst and hurt/comfort - set after "The Puppeteer") Hat Kid has a bad day. Snatcher's minions come up with the idea to deliver mail to her to cheer her up.**

**Ack, I'm sorry this one took so long! I ended up scrapping my original idea for this oneshot, then was hesitant because it kinda stretches the prompt. Finally, though, I'm happy with it. ^^**

* * *

Something was wrong.

Snatcher hadn't seen Hat Kid for two days now, and that was highly unusual. Since she'd returned to Earth after visiting her own planet, she'd made it a habit to spend a lot of her time with him, whether she was visiting him or vice versa. Since Moonjumper was working with Snatcher now, though, the Soul Stealer hadn't wanted to risk the puppeteer being alone in Subcon. Their rivalry was still fresh in their minds, after all, and Snatcher knew of his thriving desire to take over the kingdom.

He paced in his home and used his aura to reach out to his minions, commanding a few of them to come to him. He didn't have to wait long before a few of them were entering his tree.

"Yeah, boss?"

"What's wrong?"

"Is this about the kid?"

Snatcher silenced their questions with a glare, and then spoke. **"I don't know if something's up or not, but I haven't seen the kid in a while so I'm going to visit her. I need you to keep an eye on moonboy for me, and alert me if ANYTHING happens!"**

The small group of Subconites were quick to answer with a few salutes. "Sure thing, boss!"

He nodded at them, satisfied, and proceeded to make his way up to Hat Kid's spaceship.

He entered her home by phasing through her bedroom wall, ready to give her a small scare just for fun. As he emerged from the strange space-proof wood, however, he halted at the sight that met him.

Hat Kid was curled up into a little ball on her bed, facing her wardrobe and thus turned away from him. Her signature top hat was on its side at the foot of the bed, and from what Snatcher could see, her hair was messy and her clothes disheveled.

His first thought was that she was sick, but her aura seemed healthy enough despite being a little dimmed. Although, she _was _an alien, and he had yet to see her get sick, so he didn't truly know what her aura would be if that were the case.

He shook his head to regain focus, and then drifted over to her bedside. **"Kid?"**

She flinched and sat up quickly, obviously caught by surprise, and her eyes widened when she turned and saw him.

Snatcher's concern only deepened when he saw her tear-stained face and red, puffy eyes. After a quick check that no one else was in the room, he gently put his hands on her shoulders and spoke softly. **"Hey, what's wrong? Are you sick?" **He could feel how tense her shoulders were.

Hat Kid sniffled and shook her head no. Subconsciously relaxing at his familiar touch, she looked away and wiped her face on her sleeve for the umpteenth time that day.

The ghost frowned softly, recognizing that she was going non-verbal. **"Look, kid, I can't help unless you tell me what's wrong."**

She hugged her knees to her chest and bit her lip, still not looking at him. "... stay?"

He scrunched his face slightly. **"Uh… I'm... not quite following."**

The little alien pointed at him with a glance, and he blinked as it finally clicked.

"**Oh. You want me to stay here with you?"**

She looked up at him timidly and nodded. With a small sigh and only a moment's hesitation, he obliged and shrunk himself just enough to be able to fit comfortably on her bed. As he proceeded to curl loosely around her, she almost immediately snuggled into his fluff and buried her face against him.

He frowned lightly down at her, though he was quick to embrace her in an effort to comfort her. He hadn't really seen her act this way before, or at least not to this extent; usually, when she got upset she'd obsessively fix or otherwise work on things. She didn't seem the type to get depressed like this.

The blazing question of _why _burned in his mind, but he pushed it back. She was being incredibly clingy, which he knew by now meant that she was feeling insecure, and he didn't want to risk scaring her away with his inquiries. He'd just have to wait.

Several minutes passed before Snatcher felt a tug in the back of his subconscious. He blinked and focused on it, receiving his minions' message: NEED YOU. MOONJUMPER.

The spirit let out a small sigh, not wanting to leave his kid to deal with whatever was bugging her alone. But if the puppeteer was causing trouble, he didn't have much of a choice.

He felt Hat Kid's grip on his fluff tighten as he shifted, and he looked down to be met with her pleading turquoise eyes. Did she somehow know, or was she just guessing that he was about to go?

He gazed at her sympathetically. **"I'm sorry, kiddo. I have to leave; Moonjumper's causing trouble." **He didn't let himself focus on how her lower lip trembled. **"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"**

Reluctantly, he uncurled himself and gently untangled her hands from his mane. Hardly able to stand leaving her like this, he gave her one more hug before drifting back.

Snatcher paused, then offered a smile. **"I love you, kiddo."**

Her countenance lifted at his sincere words, and she managed a tearful smile back.

Feeling a bit lighter himself, Snatcher's own grin widened. Then, with a wave, he turned and phased through the wall.

* * *

Arriving back in Subcon, Snatcher found three of his subjects' homes blasted to pieces and magical fire licking at what was left of them.

"**I leave him alone for ten minutes, and THIS is what I come back to?" **Snatcher grumbled, directing his minions as the cleanup started.

He was still their king, after all, and unless they really couldn't do or move something on their own, he would simply provide his guidance in their efforts. He sent Moonjumper another glare, watching as the puppeteer steered clear of the Subconites while doing his part to help clean the mess he'd made.

Turns out, those pesky fire spirits had returned shortly after Snatcher had left to check on Hat Kid. Moonjumper attempted to handle them, but it somehow turned into a verbal argument and then an actual fight. The result? Three partially destroyed treehouses and a lot of magical fire to put out, though at least the foxes had left.

Worst of all, though, was the fact that he knew Hat Kid was still miserable, up there all alone on her ship. He didn't know if CC was there, but he figured that the feline would be with the alien if she was on the spacecraft. She was rather loving and protective of the child, after all.

Snatcher huffed to himself as he watched his minions and Moonjumper work. This mess would take at least an hour to clean and fix, but he'd promised Hat Kid that he'd visit her as soon as he could. Being a child, an hour would certainly not qualify as "soon" to her, and he didn't want her to be alone for that long anyways. She was his kid now, and it broke his metaphorical heart to see her so sad (and frustrated him that she wouldn't tell him why she was so down in the first place).

"Boss?"

The ghost startled slightly at being suddenly addressed, but he was quick to regain his composure. He didn't miss the amusement that flashed in the minion's aura, though. **"What?"**

"Is the kid okay?"

He sighed. **"No, but I don't know what's wrong except that she's upset about something. And I can't leave here until this is cleaned up."**

The Subconite put a hand to their "chin," deep in thought, before they suddenly perked up. "Boss! What if we deliver mail to her?"

He blinked. **"What?"**

"It always makes us happy when we get mail, so it'll help her too!" The minion was practically bursting with joy.

Snatcher considered it. Giving her mail was actually a sound idea, solidified by the knowledge that his minions knew Hat Kid so well so they'd know how best to help her, seeing as how he still wasn't great at emotions and such. Plus, he knew how excited she got when someone gave her something or even when she found a rift token.

He grinned down at his faithful subject. **"Not a bad idea, Joey! Why don't you gather some of the others, and make something for the kid. Remember to check with me before you deliver it!"**

The minion, Joey, gave a small salute. "Right away, boss!"

He felt Joey's excitement and gratitude, and returned some of his own to the Subconite as they ran off to do as he instructed.

He really hoped that this would work.

* * *

Hat Kid clutched her self-made toys to her chest, vaguely aware of how she was getting them wet with her tears. She squeezed her eyes shut and curled up into as tight a ball as she could while holding seven toys in her arms, biting back a whimper.

She wished Snatcher was with her. His presence alone had helped immensely, and he always made her feel so much better. But then he'd had to leave, and so she was alone.

Again.

Just like before.

Hat Kid rubbed at her face with one hand, willing the depressing thoughts to leave, but they never listened. Instead, they only grew worse after her attempt at repressing them, and she groaned to herself in response.

She hadn't felt quite _this _bad in a while. It'd hit a day ago, shortly after CC had left the ship to tend to something on the planet below. The Wowl band had long returned to Dead Bird Studios, and the Mafia Boss hadn't been on her ship for a long while. For the first time in weeks, she was well and truly _alone._

The little alien wasn't sure why it was hitting her _this _hard, honestly. She'd been piloting her ship solo for a month before arriving on Earth, and it hadn't been nearly this bad. And she'd been alone many times before that...

… thinking harder about it, she supposed it was because now she knew what it was like to _not _be alone; to have people that showed their affection for her whether she lived up to their expectations or not. People that weren't disappointed in her for her previous failures, and who encouraged instead of punished her when she came up short. People she could actually rely on without fear of them abandoning her.

She'd been confused, at first, then surprised when they kept treating her that way. She didn't understand, and had been almost constantly afraid of disappointing them when she'd grown closer to them all. But slowly, slowly, Hat Kid had learned that their actions and affections were genuine and lasting, not conditional. Sure, they'd scold her from time to time when she misbehaved, but they never stopped loving her because of it.

_That must be why I feel so bad, _she realized with a small jolt. _I'm scared of losing that love._

But she knew they wouldn't abandon her; not after all they'd been through. Sure, almost all of her friends had once turned their backs on her, but now they were close enough that she considered them all family. Yet, even with that knowledge, those stupid fears still pestered her.

Not to mention that, thanks to her upbringing, she was still really confused and conflicted about—

"Kid?"

Hat Kid jumped with a squeak and whirled around, getting tangled in her blanket as she did so and almost falling off of the bed thanks to her sudden scrambling.

"Oh, uh… sorry for scaring you!"

It was an upside-down Subconite.

Surprised, Hat Kid rolled onto her stomach so they were rightside-up and detangled herself from her covers, a little embarrassed now that her heart rate was gradually returning to normal and she realized how silly she must have just looked. She must've been so deep in thought that she hadn't even heard them come in. Oops.

"Are you okay?" the minion asked, and the alien realized that they were holding their hands behind their back. Odd…

She gave them a small nod and forced smile in answer to their question, but she could tell that they weren't convinced. Thankfully, they didn't press.

"Well, the boss wanted me to deliver this to you!" They brought their little hands forward, revealing a box wrapped in Subcon-purple paper.

Her interest instantly piqued, Hat Kid took it from them and held it carefully. It felt somewhat heavy, yet its weight seemed perfectly balanced on her hand no matter how she tilted it. Thanks, Subcon magic.

Trying not to appear too eager, she wiped her face on her sleeve before opening the gift. Taking the lid off of the simple cardboard box, her eyes widened at what was inside. Gently, she grabbed the small stack of papers and lifted them out, letting the minion take the box for her as she spread the parchments over her bed to look at them all.

They were pictures. Well, more accurately, they were drawings, done in crayon and clearly with a child's hand. Each one was different, but they almost all consisted of Hat Kid with the minions or Snatcher doing an activity or just standing next to each other. A couple even depicted her playing with human children wearing joyful masks, who she guessed were the Subconites before they died.

Amazed, the alien tore her eyes from the drawings and looked at the minion with a question in her gaze. They caught on easily and were quick to answer.

"It wasn't just me!" they replied happily to her silent inquiry. "A ton of us got together to make these for you, to cheer you up!"

Hat Kid didn't realize she was crying again until she blinked and felt water trail down her cheeks, and she hopped off of her bed to engulf the Subconite in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she said simply, voice hoarse from crying and disuse. "Thank you."

The minion's surprise was clear even without being able to see their expression, but they were quick to return the hug. They relaxed with relief when they felt Hat Kid's aura brighten, and they were sure to send a message to Snatcher that their plan had worked.

Their boss' response containing his own relief and gratitude came instantly.

Hat Kid pulled away with some reluctance several seconds later, and she wiped at her face with her dirty sleeve. "Thank you," she told them again, grinning wide.

"Happy to help!" the minion gladly replied. "Now, let's get you cleaned up! The boss gave us permission to play some games with you too, if you want."

Her expression lit up with hope. "You're staying?"

"Of course!" The Subconite was quick to answer, but made a mental note of the fear they'd noticed flash across her face before they spoke. "Some of the others are excited to join us, too. They just didn't want to overwhelm you!"

Hat Kid giggled, feeling a giant weight lift from her shoulders. "Tell them to come! I'll go wash up."

As she ran off to her kitchen, tears filled her eyes while love flooded her heart. She wasn't alone anymore, and she had the coolest noodle ghost dad and spirit family ever.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review to tell me what you think of it. Next chapter will be coming soon, and will be something a little different! ;)**


End file.
